J R. R Belkit Essay On Fairy Stories
J. R. R. Tolkien, celebrated as one of the greatest fantasy writers in history, gave a lecture titled “Fairy Stories,” eventually altered into an essay retitled “On Fairy Stories.” At the heart of his argument, which explores the nature of fantasy and the cultural role of fairy tales, is the same profound belief that there is no such thing as writing “for children.” In Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy Stories” he argues that it is not necessary to be a child to enjoy and read fairy tales. At the beginning of “On Fairy Stories,” J.R.R Tolkien starts the literary work by defining what a fairy tale is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. However, it does not mention any words with the combination fairy-story, and it also is useless on the
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Tolkien, fairy tales should not be seen in such an intense manner by saying fairy tales are primarily for children and that it loses its power of escape, revitalization or even fantasy when read by an adult. Children are adolescent and are likely to believe whatever they are told, thus their imagination is much grander than an adult’s and is capable of seeing things that others would not see when presented with a fairy tale. Adults read fantasy and write creative literature to recapture some of that magic lost when they grew up, and the magic and stories contained in fairy-tales are not for us. When reading these stories, adults must ignore reality and places themselves in the “Secondary World” created by the story. Adults are in capable of fully immersing themselves, they are preoccupied with the ideas and knowledge they have learned as they’ve grown up, with life experiences and responsibilities. Only children have the true power to immerse themselves in these tales and therefore understand the mystical world presented to them. While adults have the intelligence and the vocabulary to tell these fairy tales, only children have the ability to fully imagine and understand them. Fairy-tales, while a form of literature, should not be dissected and looked at critically like with novels or essays. He says that adults “…of course, put more in and get more out than children can.” It should not be seen in this fashion. One does not “put more into” a fairy tale; one can only
Tolkien, fairy tales should not be seen in such an intense manner by saying fairy tales are primarily for children and that it loses its power of escape, revitalization or even fantasy when read by an adult. Children are adolescent and are likely to believe whatever they are told, thus their imagination is much grander than an adult’s and is capable of seeing things that others would not see when presented with a fairy tale. Adults read fantasy and write creative literature to recapture some of that magic lost when they grew up, and the magic and stories contained in fairy-tales are not for us. When reading these stories, adults must ignore reality and places themselves in the “Secondary World” created by the story. Adults are in capable of fully immersing themselves, they are preoccupied with the ideas and knowledge they have learned as they’ve grown up, with life experiences and responsibilities. Only children have the true power to immerse themselves in these tales and therefore understand the mystical world presented to them. While adults have the intelligence and the vocabulary to tell these fairy tales, only children have the ability to fully imagine and understand them. Fairy-tales, while a form of literature, should not be dissected and looked at critically like with novels or essays. He says that adults “…of course, put more in and get more out than children can.” It should not be seen in this fashion. One does not “put more into” a fairy tale; one can only